Wednesday, July 5, 2017

    Editor:
    Brandon Sweet
    University Communications
    bulletin@uwaterloo.ca


    Canada Day 2017:  A Year of Pride and Celebration

    Crowd at Canada Day celebrationsOn Saturday, July 1, Columbia Lake Fields hosted a record-breaking crowd of over 65,000 as we celebrated a milestone year with our community.  As the nation celebrated its 150th anniversary of confederation, the University of Waterloo continued to celebrate our 60th anniversary, alongside our Federation of Students celebrating its 50th year.  In its 33rd year of the event, we thanked the community for its partnership and mutual support, as they joined in our pride to be Canadian.

    After the rain clouds parted, attendees took part in an afternoon and evening to remember filled with interactive family fun, an international array of food, and live entertainment. Special in 2017 were the Canada Day salute, featuring a flyover of two World War II jets, and a new Canada 150 Cultural stage in partnership with the City of Waterloo. Families enjoyed children’s performers Bobs & Lolo and as the crowds grew, Dwanye Gretzky and Canadian rock icon Tom Cochrane with Red Rider performed on the OpenText stage. The evening was capped off by the most spectacular fireworks display to date that lit up Columbia Lake and could be seen from miles around. Over 2.7 million people from across Canada followed the celebration online, with #UWCanadaDay trending in the top 10 on twitter throughout the event

    Check out highlights from the celebration, and watch for our recap video in the days ahead.

    Teaching and Learning Spaces Committee launches second survey

    Creating outstanding learning spaces comes under the academic programming theme of the University’s strategic plan.  Last year, the Teaching and Learning Spaces Committee sought feedback on your most and least favourite classrooms. We learned from the survey that students find that classrooms with cramped seating create strong challenges to an effective learning environment.  With this feedback, and an assessment of various classrooms, plans are afoot to renovate and decompress Physics 145 and 150 in the Winter term 2018.  Further renovations are being contemplated for other similarly cramped classrooms.

    The Teaching and Learning Spaces Committee now wants to hear more of your thoughts about our classrooms by exploring how well they meet instructor needs, based on current and preferred approaches to teaching.  “We encourage all instructors to provide feedback – we want our classrooms to be productive spaces for everyone, and with your help we can achieve that goal” the committee says. If you have any questions about the survey or the work of the committee, please contact Beth Jewkes, Associate Provost (Resources), by sending an email to emjewkes@uwaterloo.ca.

    The TLSC committee will be sending an email to instructors in the next few days with a link to the survey. The survey will close July 21, 2017.

    Green thumbs up to green bins in Waterloo

    Green bin with paper bag insideA message from the Survey Research Centre, University of Waterloo

    In March 2017, the Region of Waterloo made changes to waste collection impacting the cities of Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge, and the surrounding townships. The Region has moved from collecting up to 10 bags of garbage every week to a maximum of 4 bags of garbage every two weeks. Green bin and blue box collection is now available for all single family homes on a weekly basis, which is a recent addition for the surrounding townships.

    So, what has been the reaction of Waterloo Region residents to the waste collection changes? The Survey Research Centre at the University of Waterloo wanted to find out. The Survey Research Centre conducts an annual Waterloo Region Area survey where interested university researchers and community organizations can collect survey research data for a fraction of the cost of an independent telephone and web study (i.e., $3,290 for 4-5 questions versus a similar sized telephone study ($18,000) or web study ($7,000)). As part of the 2017 survey, questions about the waste collection changes were asked.

    According to the Region of Waterloo website, there are many reasons why this change was made. The Region reported that over half of residential garbage (by weight) consists of organic, compostable material that could be redirected to green bins, while another 14 percent of garbage consists of recyclable material that could be redirected to blue boxes. With the approximately $2.4 million annual cost savings provided by cutting garbage collection in half and the rapidly shrinking capacity of the region’s lone landfill, it seems to be an easy decision.

    What might not be so easy is changing the habits of the region’s residents. The Region is counting on residents to comply with the changes and reduce garbage by diverting applicable material from going to the landfill to green bins and blue boxes instead.

    Almost all residents polled (95 percent) reported they were aware of the changes to waste collection just prior to implementation. While 76 percent of respondents indicated they were somewhat or strongly in favour of the changes, only 45 percent of respondents reported using a green bin on a weekly basis in the past year.

    It will be interesting to see how use of green bins changes within the next year, now that everyone within the Region is able to use this service.

    A result from the Waterloo region survey.

    Two more survey results.

    Waterloo Region Area Survey conducted among a random sample of 404 adult residents from February 13, 2017 to March 9, 2017

    Initial data from the Region, as reported in The Record on April 22nd, indicate that during the first month of the new waste collection rules, green bin material collected grew 50 percent over the same period last year. Illegal dumping of garbage also increased. With garbage collection now only every two weeks, it will be interesting to see if the level of support for green bin use continues to grow during 2017. If not, we may be in for a very smelly summer in Waterloo region.

    The Survey Research Centre offers survey research services ranging from a simple consultation to a complete package of study and survey design, data collection and top-line analysis – all at a cost recovery price. It provides telephone call centre services, online survey hosting, survey programming and mail survey services. A free one-hour consultation is available to all University of Waterloo faculty, staff and students.

    World's first legal innovation lab partners with Waterloo

    By: Naz Kittani

    Although he graduated over 40 years ago, former board of governor member and proud alumnus Bill Watson (BA ’76) continues to carry the innovative Waterloo spirit. Earlier this year, Watson contacted Waterloo’s Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) about an idea his law firm, Baker Mckenzie, was working on. Watson wanted to create Whitespace Legal Collab – a hub that uses multidisciplinary collaboration to address complex business issues.

    CECA’s Executive Director, Ross Johnston, took the opportunity to introduce Watson to Entrepreneurship Professor Larry Smith. Smith runs a Problem Lab out of the Velocity Garage that specializes in multidisciplinary problem-solving. Smith hosted a meeting with the Baker McKenzie team along with a tour of the Velocity Garage. Baker McKenzie was so impressed with Smith and the CECA team that they posted a job for two Waterloo co-op students.

    The Whitespace Legal Collab works to provide face-to-face contact between Baker McKenzie attorneys and leaders in business, government, academia, and not-for-profits to address complex global challenges. Those issues often pull in experts from the business, law and technology sectors to identify a problem and then do a deep dive to solve it. As the first lab of its kind, this new addition to Baker McKenzie places the company at the forefront of innovation, making Waterloo the perfect partner.

    “Waterloo co-op students are known for their innovative approach to problems,” says Johnston. “A major reason for that is the multidisciplinary team projects they’re exposed to in the lab and classroom during academic terms. This prepares them for real-world situations in the workforce and is part of the reason they’re in such high demand from employers around the world across a wide variety of industries.”

    The Collab officially launched on June 6 with Waterloo’s Problem Lab listed as an official partner. CECA was invited to the official launch party to ring the closing bell at the TSX as part of the pre-launch festivities.

    To find out more about The Whitespace Legal Collab, watch Baker McKenzie’s launch video, which also features a few words from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

    Wednesday's notes

     The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. We are on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Federation of Students, the Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre, the Aboriginal Students Association and the University of Waterloo came together June 30 to unveil a plaque on the wall of the Student Life Centre that acknowledges the traditional territory on which the building stands. The ceremony featured traditional songs as well as words from Feds, ASA, and President Feridun Hamdullahpur.

    Professor Ihab Ilyas.The Cheriton School of Computer Science has announced that Ihab Ilyas, professor and the Thomson Reuters­–funded Research Chair in Data Cleaning from Theory to Practice has been elected vice-chair of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Management of Data (ACM SIGMOD). The four-year position begins July 1, 2017. 

    SIGMOD is ACM’s premier professional society responsible for innovative dissemination of knowledge on data management, including data description, storage, querying, analysis, security and privacy. As vice-chair, Ilyas will play a pivotal role in co-leading SIGMOD and managing its activities.

    Check out the School of Computer Science's news site for the full story.

    The Registrar's Office has informed students that they may select their Fall 2017 courses during the course selection period, which runs from July 4 to July 10, 2017.

    Students are invited to prepare in advance, contact their academic advisor if they have questions, and view the course selection process website for step-by-step instructions.

    Students select their courses through their Quest accounts. Students should note that course selection is not available on Quest Mobile. Students must use the full Quest site.

    Depending on their program, plan, or major, a student may find their core or required courses may already be placed into their course list.

    Fall 2017 course schedules will become available on July 19, and students will be able to review their schedules and adjust them during the drop/add period, which begins on July 20. Courses can still be added or swapped until September 20, with students having the ability to drop courses with refund until September 27.

    The gamelan ensemble performing on stage.

    The University's Balinese Gamelan Ensemble will be participating in the Kultrun Festival in Kitchener's Victoria Park on Saturday, July 8 at 2:00 p.m. Students will play by ear on various gamelan instruments, including gongs, metallophones, drums, and flutes. A free workshop will follow the concert.

    Link of the day

    330 years ago: Isaac Newton publishes Principia

    When and where

    University of Waterloo Blood Donor Clinics, Tuesday, July 4 to Thursday, July 6, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Walk-ins accepted. 

    WISE Public Lecture Series - "Directional Drilling and Magnetic Ranging Services for Geothermal Energy Development," Clinton Moss, President, Marksman Ranging Technologies, Scientific Drilling,
    Wednesday, July 5 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., CPH 3681.

    Discover your interests (for staff only), Wednesday, July 5, 12:00 p.m., TC 1113.

    NEW - WISE Public Lecture Series - "Hydraulic Fracture Field Experiments for Geothermal Energy," UWaterloo Alumni Dr. MohammadReza Jalali, Lecturer & Researcher, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Wednesday, July 5 1:30pm to 2:30pm, CPH 3681.

    Résumés, Careers and Personal Branding- Day 1, Wednesday, July 5, 2:30 p.m., LIB 329.

    Velocity Fund $5K Qualifiers – Night 1, “3-minute pitches in front of a panel of judges,” Wednesday, July 5, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre Room 0101.

    Public Lecture, "Some fungi we thought we knew," Greg Thorn, Wednesday, July 5, 8:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m., Laurier, N1001.

    UW Farm Market, Thursday, July 6, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Lower Atrium.

    Database systems seminar, “New era in distributed computing with blockchains and databases,” C. Mohan, IBM Almaden Research Center, Thursday, July 6, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., DC 1302.

    Grammar Studio Series, Thursday, July 6, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

    Résumés, Careers and Personal Branding- Day 2, Thursday, July 6, 2:30 p.m., Dana Porter Library room 329

    Writing Centre workshop, “Say it in your own words: paraphrase and summary,” Thursday, July 6, 4:00 p.m.

    Velocity Fund $5K Qualifiers – Night 2, “3-minute pitches in front of a panel of judges,” Thursday, July 6, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre Room 0101.

    NEW - Computer science colloquium, “The Cirrus Cloud Project: opportunistic mobile cloud computing,” Mostafa Ammar, School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Friday, July 7, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., DC 1304.

    Artificial intelligence seminar,AI in a personalized learning environment,” Bowen Hui, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Friday, July 7, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., DC 1331.

    Interviews: Preparing for Questions, Friday, July 7, 12:30 p.m., TC 1208.

    Engineering 101, Saturday, July 8, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    Applied Health Sciences 101, Saturday, July 8, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    Conrad Grebel Concert: University of Waterloo Balinese Gamelan Ensemble, Saturday, July 8, 2:00 p.m., Victoria Park, Kitchener.

    LGBTQ+ Making Spaces Workshop, Monday, July 10, 12:30 p.m., NH 3308.

    Conversation Café, Monday, July 10, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 219.

    WISE Public Lecture Series, "Self Dependency in Remote Communities: Food, Energy, Future." Tuesday, July 11, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., CPH 3681.

    Grammar Studio Series, Tuesday, July 11, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

    Science 101, Wednesday, July 12, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    The University Club presents Christmas in July, Wednesday, July 12, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., University Club.

    Eco-Summit: Building Foundations, Wednesday, July 12, 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., St. Paul’s Alumni Hall.

    Coping Skills Seminar: Cultivating Resiliency, Wednesday, July 12, 4:00 p.m., HS 2302.

    Velocity Start: The Startup Rollercoaster, “Panel of entrepreneurs talking about the mistakes made during the startup journey,” Wednesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

    UW Farm Market, Thursday, July 13, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Lower Atrium.

    Grammar Studio Series, Thursday, July 13, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

    More Feet on the Ground Mental Health Training, Thursday, July 13, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Counselling Services.

    Conrad Grebel Concert – University Choir, “Island Music,” Saturday, July 15, 7:30 p.m., Cedars Worship Centre, Waterloo.

    The Hymn Society Annual Conference 2017, Sunday, July 16 to Thursday, July 20, Conrad Grebel University College.

    Arts 101, Monday, July 17, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    Test Preparation & Test Anxiety, Monday, July 17, 3:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

    Conversation Café, Monday, July 17, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 219.

    Weight Watchers at Waterloo Summer Session info and sign-up, Tuesday, July 18, 12:00 p.m., HH 373. Contact tgneal@uwaterloo,.ca for more information.

    Coping Skills Seminar – Strengthening Motivation, Tuesday, July 18, 4:00 p.m., HS 2302.

    Calming the Panic: Practical Skills to Reduce Anxiety, Wednesday, July 19, 2:30 p.m., Counselling Services.

    Organize your time for midterms and exams, Wednesday, July 19, 4:30 p.m., SCH 108A.

    Banting postdoctoral fellowship final application deadline at Waterloo, Wednesday, July 19, 8:00 p.m.

    Math 101, Thursday, July 20, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

    UW Farm Market, Thursday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Lower Atrium.

    Velocity Fund Finals, “20 startups compete for $125,000,” Thursday, July 20, 11:00 a.m., SLC Great Hall.

    PhD seminar, Deep active learning for dialogue generation,” Nabiha Asghar, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, Friday, July 21, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., DC 2306C.

    Conrad Grebel Concert, Instrumental Chamber Ensembles, Sunday, July 23, 7:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel Chapel.

    The University Club presents Lobsterlicious, Monday, July 24 to Friday, July 28, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., University Club.

    Conversation Café, Monday, July 24, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 219.

    Getting Published for Grad Students, Wednesday, July 26, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

    Exploring Your Personality Type: (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), Wednesday, July 26, 12:00 p.m., TC 1113.

    CrySP Speaker Series on Privacy, “Making security sustainable,” Ross Anderson, University of Cambridge, Wednesday, July 26, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., DC 1304.

    UW Farm Market, Thursday, July 27, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Lower Atrium.

    Social Impact Showcase, July 27, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., St. Paul's Alumni Hall. All welcome! Register here.

    Conrad Grebel Peace Camp, Monday, July 31 to Friday, August 4.

    Conversation Café, Monday, July 31, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 219.

    Employee-Explore your personality type: Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Wednesday, August 2, TC 1113 - Please note, you must sign up for the session on July 26 as this is a follow up session to that one.

    Positions available

    On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable on the UWaterloo Talent Acquisition System (iCIMS):

    Job ID# 2017-1763 - Executive Officer - Dean of Engineering Office, USG 14-15

    Job ID# 2017-1757 - Graduate Studies Supervisor - School of Computer Science, USG 7

    Job ID# 2017-1719 - Grants and Contracts Manager - Office of Research, USG 9

    Job ID# 2017-1741 - Instructional Support Coordinator - Stratford Programmes, USG 8

    Job ID# 2017-1699 - Research Development Officer - Mathematics Research Office, USG 12

    Internal secondment opportunities:

    Job ID# 2017-1722 - Senior Instructional Support Assistant - School of Computer Science, USG 6

    Job ID# 2017-1760 - Student Advisor - Coop Education & Career Action, USG 8-9